


I Need a Hero

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M, because let's face it dipper isn't really a superhero, bill is a supervillain, dipper and mabel are bloggers, gideon is a superhero, superhero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-22
Updated: 2017-09-25
Packaged: 2018-12-18 16:49:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11878704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: Dipper Pines is determined to get an exclusive interview with Gravity Fall's most elusive superhero, Angel of Death! But, how close is he planning to get to the hero?





	1. A Word?

**Author's Note:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney XD
> 
> ((You guys wanted it, you got it! A superhero AU, just as ordered!))

“C'mon, Mabel, we're gonna miss everything!”  
  
“I'm coming, I'm coming! I just have to make sure we have space on the camera!”   
  
“You didn't check that earlier?!”  
  
Dipper and Mabel Pines burst from their apartment in Gravity Falls in a flurry of bodies and bags, rushing to their car. “Why didn't you check earlier?!” Dipper asked as they fell into their seats and buckled up.  
  
“I was drawing!” Mabel explained as Dipper slammed the car into gear and took off. “Careful, careful! We haven't buckled up yet! Dipper!”  
  
“Superhero battles don't wait for seatbelts!” Dipper declared, swerving and narrowly avoiding hitting a car coming around the corner. “RIGHT OF WAY, ASSHOLE!” He yelled out the window before driving on.  
  
“I bet he's going to refuse again.” Mabel sighed.  
  
“No, I'm sure he'll let us interview him this time! I'm sure of it!” Dipper insisted.  
  
Mabel sighed heavily and looked out the window as they saw blue and yellow flashes of light, signs of a superhero battle going on. They parked near Gravity Falls news van and hopped out, Mabel pulling out her camera as they ran.  
  
“Ready?” Dipper asked her.  
  
“Ready!” She held up her camera. “Oh, wait, lens cap. There, NOW we're ready!”  
  
He gave a thumbs-up and then moved to where they could see the battle behind us. “We're live at--”  
  
“Watch out!” A reporter yelled as a blaze of yellow and black dive-bombed towards Dipper. He yelped and ran to get out of the way, narrowly avoiding being hit by the triangle-covered supervillain.  
  
“Wooooooowwwwwweeeee! You were pulling your punches until that last one!” The villain grinned up at his opponent, getting up from where he'd crash-landed. “You've gotten stronger, kid!”  
  
“Get out of my town.” His opponent said as he floated down towards them, powering up another attack.  
  
“Whooooa, okay! We'll just take a little break for now,eh? But my offer still stands!” The blonde man in triangles said, backing away. “I'll see you later, Angel!” He snapped his fingers and vanished in a burst of blue fire.  
  
His opponent sighed and then turned to the group of people that were for some reason in the area. “Do you people _not_ understand what the word 'evacuate' means?” He asked, his voice, though, muffled by his mask, clearly irritated.  
  
“Angel of Death, may we have a word with you?” Every member of the group that had a microphone, including Dipper, held theirs out.  
  
“I have told you before; _no comment_. I don't do interviews.” Angel of Death sighed heavily. “I have more important things to be doing. Excuse me.” He flew off, leaving the group behind.  
  
“Angel of Death, just a few moments of your time!”  
  
Mabel sighed and turned off the camera. “Well, at least we got an up-close-and-personal look at his nemesis. Let's go home, bro-bro.”  
  
Dipper sighed, looking as dejected as the other snubbed reporters. The difference, though, was THAT had other articles they could do. Dipper only had a blog.  
  
That's right, a _blog_. He was a blogger, who focused on superheroes. And everyone that read his blog had been asking him to get an exclusive interview like he did with the others, but so far Angel of Death had been elusive and dismissive. At least Dipper could say that he was one superhero that didn't do it for fame.  
  
“Yeah...let's go home.” He said, going back to the car.  
  
“We'll try again.” Mabel said, trying to lift his spirits. “He's gotta crack _sometime_ , right?”  
  
“Yeah...” Dipper said glumly.  
  
They returned home, spirits horribly dampened. Once there, he parked and went inside, leaving Mabel to lock up the car and grab the bags. Mabel sighed and did just that before following him inside and putting the bags away. “Come on, Dipper. You look like a drenched kitten when you sulk. Let's go do something to cheer you up.”  
  
“I'm a failure.” Dipper sighed.  
  
“Oh, don't be so dramatic.” Mabel sighed heavily. “He just has other things to do. You know, I think it's _good_ that we have at least one superhero that is actually focused on helping people and not interviews or photo opportunities.”  
  
“Would it kill him to talk to us for just a few minutes?” Dipper asked.  
  
“Well, no...but it might let someone else get killed.” Mabel pointed out.  
  
“...Oh.” Dipper hung his head. “I'm a selfish failure...”  
  
“Ohhh, boy.” She groaned and picked up her phone, dialing a number. “I'm gonna order pizza.”  
  
“Right.” He sighed. “I gotta go to work soon...”  
  
“Not for a few hours.” Mabel reminded him. “We can relax and enjoy pizza in the meantime.”  
  
Dipper nodded. “I bet nothing's gonna happen tonight, either.”  
  
“Well, maybe you should've considered the old guy was lying when he said the museum wax statues came to life.” Mabel shrugged, then spoke into the phone. “Hi, I'd like...”  
  
Dipper tuned out her ordering food and looked towards his office glumly. He had loads of _pictures_ of Angel of Death, but not a word from him. Well, he had TWO words, technically: No. Comment. Was it THAT hard to talk to someone? Maybe the superhero had social anxiety. Yeah, that made sense. Maybe he could build off of that. People still wanted an exclusive interview, though.

 


	2. The Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Dipper wants to do is get a paycheck. He had no idea he'd have such an exciting night at the museum!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney XD

The night. The time where criminals slipped out of their hiding places to do shameful acts. Gideon Gleeful stared out the window of his mansion, hands clasped behind his back. He used to spend the night performing, but now he was the owner of an entertainment company, like his father before him. He supposed his own children would repeat this cycle. The night was no longer the time for dancing and singing for him.  
  
He crossed the room and approached the fireplace, where he touched a sigil and murmured softly. Then he was transported to a sub-dimension, where a dark-teal and black outfit was sitting on a mannequin. Around it were an array of magical artifacts and a black cloak with a softly-glowing jewel clasp. He walked to the cloak and touched the clasp, closing his eyes. “Where is there trouble? I can feel the city screaming...”  
  
An image appeared in his mind of a large window being smashed, a foolish night-guard trying to protect a priceless artifact... “The museum.” He whispered, snapping his fingers. The outfit floated off the mannequin as his blue suit stripped off of him, quickly replaced by the darker-colored outfit. Then he pulled the cloak on and a mask appeared over his face in a blue glow before the glow faded, leaving the mask behind. He had work to do.  
  
–  
  
“J-Just get out of here!” Dipper said, waving his nightstick around as the men advanced on him. “I-I'm warning you!”  
  
“'I'm warning you'! Gosh, he's adorable!” One of the men laughed.  
  
“You should've just ran, sweetheart. Now we're gonna have to kill ya.” Another one grinned, half his face obscured by the black mask he wore.  
  
“Oh, but what a waste!” The leader lamented. “You have such a nice face, too!” He moved closer, grabbing Dipper's nightstick and throwing it to the side. “Maybe we'll steal you, too. You really _are_ a pretty thing.”  
  
Dipper's face flushed with embarrassment. He wasn't adorable, pretty, or any of that! He gasped as the man gripped his face, leaning in. He could smell the man's breath, some mix between cinnamon and mint. Not very pleasant. Wait, now was not the time for that! “Let me go!” He tried to push him away, but the man was larger.  
  
“Zip-ties.” The man held out a hand and he was swiftly handed a couple. “Just be good, hm? Don't make a FUSS.” He roughly turned Dipper around and slammed him against the wall, knocking the wind out of him and distracting him enough for the man to zip-tie his hands together. Then he pushed him down and did the same with his legs, catching them as Dipper flailed to get away and zip-tying them together. “Soon as we finish loading up the bag, we'll grab you and head out. So just be good and wait right here, hm?”  
  
Dipper squirmed, trying to pull free, but it hurt, it hurt, it hurt so bad! He tried to remember what his uncle had taught him about escaping from zip-ties, but the leader knocked his head against the wall again to leave him dazed before he got up to help with collecting the priceless artifacts.  
  
Suddenly, a blue fog filled the place. Dipper was vaguely aware of a figure coming in the broken window, and then he was hearing the sound of metal slicing skin and dying gasps.  
  
“It's The Angel of Death!” One of them screamed, just before he let out a dying gasp.  
  
One of the men had the sense to grab Dipper and put a gun to his head. “W-We have a hostage! Don't you come any closer!”  
  
The figure at the window moved his hand and the guy holding Dipper cried out in pain as his arm was moved against his will and bent out of shape. Dipper was sure he heard a bond crack. Dipper was dropped and then the man let out a dying gasp as blood hit the ground near Dipper, the guy falling next to him right after.  
  
Dipper groaned and slowly pushed himself around until he could squirm out of the area. The leader aimed a gun and fired at him, hitting his arm as he was turning the corner. “Ahhh!” He cried out in shock and pain.  
  
Another slice of metal in skin and then it was silent. Dipper whimpered in pain, tears slipping down his cheeks. He knew he had to be strong, but he was hurt, damn it, and scared! The fog lifted and he heard boots touch ground. Then he froze in fear as he felt a hand on his back.  
  
“Hold still.” He heard the Angel of Death say, and then the zip-ties were cut open. He did the same to his leg and Dipper slowly sat up, holding his bleeding arm. “Let me see your arm.”  
  
Dipper cringed, slowly moving his hand. “I-It hurts...it hurts, Angel...”  
  
“I know.” Angel of Death said, moving a hand over the wound. “The bullet's still in there. This may hurt, hold still. Do you need anything to bite?”  
  
“N-No, I'll be okay.” Dipper said, shaking his head.  
  
“You're so brave.” Angel of Death smiled and then a glow formed around Dipper's wound. The bullet floated out of it slowly before it dropped to the ground and then Dipper's arm was being wrapped up with a bandage from a first-aid kit.  
  
“W-Where did you get that from?” Dipper asked.  
  
“I summoned it.” Angel of Death said calmly, then cut the roll free before tying it off. “There, that should do it. I advise you have a proper doctor look at it, though.” He stood up and offered a gloved hand. “Can you walk?”  
  
Dipper slowly, shakily stood up...before promptly falling to his knees again. “Aha...I guess...that event had more effect on me than I thought, after all...” He said, his entire body shaking as he stared at the floor. “I...they were talking about...kept calling me 'pretty'...I think...if you hadn't...” He gasped as he felt arms around him and he was lifted up. “Uh...”  
  
“Let's get you out of here.” Angel of Death said calmly before they both glowed and he flew out the window with him.  
  
Dipper clung to him as they flew over the city, the police finally arriving at the museum to find out what had triggered the alarm Dipper had set off _thirty minutes ago_. It never occurred to him just how useless the police were in this city. No wonder they had so many superheroes.  
  
“You know, now that we're out in the moonlight, you look familiar.” Angel of Death commented.  
  
“Huh? Oh, uh, you might've seen me...earlier...” Dipper glanced to the side awkwardly.  
  
“Did I?” Angel of Death looked thoughtful. “Oh, right. You're the guy I almost threw Bill Cipher onto. Sorry about that.”  
  
“I-It's okay.” Dipper supposed it was better to be remembered as the guy he almost threw his arch-nemesis onto than to be remembered as the obnoxious blogger that kept hounding him for an interview. “So, uh...where are we going?”  
  
“The hospital.” Angel of Death said, as if it was obvious. Thinking about it, based on their conversation earlier, it WAS obvious. He had to wonder if Angel of Death did this kind of care for everyone or if he was the only one...don't read into it. You're just a victim. An idiot who didn't think to run when trouble started. “You seem troubled.”  
  
“I-I'm just...upset with myself, that's all. I was so useless...and now I'm wasting your time caring for me...” Dipper sighed.  
  
“It's never a waste of my time to care for—hold on.” He landed on a roof and set Dipper down as they heard a commotion down below. “Wait here.” He then flew down and Dipper moved to the edge to look over and see what was going on. A man was being pinned against the wall by Angel of Death as a woman tried to hold her clothes together.  
  
“Quite a sight, eh, kid? A superhero at work!”  
  
“Huh?” Dipper looked up and cried out in surprise, scrambling backwards away from the triangle-clad man. “Y-You're Bill Cipher!”  
  
“And _you're_ a helpless victim!” Bill Cipher cackled. “Nice to meet ya, kid!” He held out a hand.  
  
“I-I'm not a kid. And I know the dangers of handshakes with you.” Dipper said, shaking his head.  
  
“Aw, no need to be so cold~!” Bill Cipher drifted closer to him. “Wow. You really look just like your uncle, you know that?”  
  
“Y-You know my uncle?” Dipper asked.  
  
“Ol' The Author? Yeah!” Bill Cipher grinned. “We used to fight all the time!”  
  
“S-The Author?” Dipper looked confused.  
  
“'Course, that was _before_ he got himself BLASTED TO ANOTHER DIMENSION!” Bill cackled loudly. “Oh, you should've seen the look on his brother's FACE! It was _too_ good, so I let him live!”  
  
“Cipher!” Angel of Death flew up and fired a blast at him, making Bill fly away from Dipper. “Get away from him!”  
  
“What was he talking about just now? My uncle? The Author? What? Who is The Author?” Dipper asked, looking at Angel of Death.  
  
“Maybe if we meet again, I'll tell ya! The Author was before Angel's time!” Bill grinned. “See ya!” He vanished in a burst of blue fire.  
  
Angel of Death sighed. “Let's...get you to the hospital.” He offered Dipper a hand, which he took. “The Author was the superhero here before me. He was always accompanied by a civilian, and they seemed close. Not many people know that civilian's name, though.”  
  
“Apparently it was his brother.” Dipper said as he was lifted into Angel of Death's arms again. “And...my uncle.”  
  
“It's something to look into.” Angel of Death nodded.  
  
They landed at the hospital and he left Dipper there to get himself looked at. There was more trouble amiss and he had to attend to it.

 

–  
  
“Dipper!” Mabel practically pounced Dipper when he came home. “I heard about the attack at the museum, are you okay?!”  
  
“Y-Yeah...Yeah, I'm...I'm fine.” Dipper walked over to sit on the couch. “...Mabel? Did Grunkle Stan ever mention having a brother?”  
  
“Uhm....no?” Mabel looked thoughtful. “Wait, I think Grandpa Shermy said there was one. He disappeared 40 years ago, though.”  
  
“Well, Bill Cipher just told me my uncle was a superhero. And that he got sent to another dimension.” Dipper ran a hand through his hair. “In other news, I got up-close-and-personal with Angel of Death, finally...”  
  
“Really? Great! What'd he say?” Mabel asked. “Anything we can put in the blog?”  
  
“It wasn't really an interview.” Dipper rubbed his head, where a bump had formed. “We just...talked. Mostly about my uncle. And me. And the fact that he didn't mind taking time out of his night to help me to the hospital.”  
  
“Well, maybe he'll be more open to an interview now that you know each other?” Mabel suggested.  
  
“Uh, I dunno...he kind of...didn't recognize me as anything but the guy he almost crushed with Bill Cipher.” Dipper scratched his cheek. “Maybe, though?”  
  
Dipper sighed and got up. “I gotta go to bed. And hopefully I'll have a job tonight.”  
  
“It's your night off. Let's go do something fun.” Mabel suggested.  
  
Dipper sighed. “Alright. I still need sleep, though.”  
  
“Go on and sleep.” Mabel nodded. “I'm gonna sleep too.” She yawned and headed for her room.  
  
Dipper lay down on his bed, but couldn't summon sleep. His mind was swirling with new information and also the fact that he just realized that Angel of Death smelled like marigolds. That was a really nice smell.  
  
...Oh no.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The things you DON'T know...  
> Oh no, indeed.


	3. Crush

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Dipper is coming to terms with his budding feelings for the superhero, Bill decides to ruin his day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney XD

Gideon sat at his computer, looking up information on past superheroes. It seemed that The Author and Bill Cipher were once a team, but after their greatest foes, The Freaks, had publicly tempted Bill Cipher, they started to battle each other until he finally left, joining them. A few years after that, The Author was sent away by Bill Cipher through a strange portal, never to be seen again.  
  
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “No sign of his new friends lately, though. I wonder what happened to them?” He mumbled, reaching for his mug of hot chocolate. “I should look into that. But first...” He frowned, picking up a paper as he drank. “...Auditions. Right.” He sighed and stood up, setting his mug down. This was going to be a looooooong four hours.  
  
–  
  
“How's your arm feeling?” Mabel asked as she set Dipper's coffee in front of him.  
  
“Still sore, but it's healing.” Dipper sighed and picked up his mug. “Mabel...I think I got a problem.”  
  
“Problem?” Mabel asked, taking a sip of her drink.  
  
“Yeah.” Dipper took a sip and then lowered the mug. “...I think...I've got a crush.”  
  
“No, really? The chewed up shirt-collars the last few days haven't been enough indication?” Mabel raised an eyebrow. “Which one?”  
  
“What?” Dipper blinked.  
  
“You had conversations with two people that night. Which one is it?” Mabel asked.  
  
Dipper blushed and hung his head. “The...uh...Angel.” He mumbled.  
  
“Oh, well that's good then.” Mabel nodded. “Better him than the old guy.”  
  
Dipper gaped at her. “Mabel, this is _bad_. Everyone knows what happens to significant others of heroes!” He hissed.  
  
“Oh, please.” Mabel waved it off. “That's only for the really big ones.”  
  
“Oh, you don't think _Bill Cipher_ is capable of using Angel of Death's lover against him?” Dipper hissed again.  
  
“Fine, don't tell him. Problem solved. I mean, it's not like you didn't do the same thing with Wendy, Sarah, and Joseph. You _never_ really confess to your crushes.” Mabel pointed out, taking another sip.  
  
Dipper looked up at her. “It's true, but you didn't have to say it.”  
  
Mabel grinned at him and set her mug down to dig into her sandwich. “You know, I'm thinking of getting into entertainment. They're holding auditions today, maybe I'll go.”  
  
“Auditions are not a 'maybe I'll go' thing.” Dipper shook his head. “People prepare for auditions for _days_ before it's actually time.”  
  
“Then why do they allow same-day walk-ins?” Mabel asked. “Anyways, I'm thinking of showing off some of my designs. I don't want to perform, I want to be a fashion designer.”  
  
“Pretty sure you don't audition for those, you just apply with a portfolio and hope they don't think your stuff is terrible.” Dipper leaned back in his seat, grabbing his sandwich. “But...you can try it, I guess?”  
  
“Gleeful Entertainment would be utter fools to turn down this fabulous design.” Mabel pulled out a sketchbook. “Don't you agree?”  
  
“Maybe a little--”  
  
“More glitter?” Mabel suggested.  
  
“Uh, maybe less.” Dipper shook his head.  
  
Mabel put her sketchbook back in her bag. “Oh, you'll never understand true art. And if I get hired we'll be rolling in the dough, ba-beh!” She snapped her fingers rhythmically.  
  
“Let me take a peek at this.” A black-gloved hand reached into Mabel's back and swiped the sketchbook.  
  
“Hey! You give that ba...aaa....ck...” Mabel looked at the stranger standing behind her chair and paled. Bill Cipher was casually flipping through her sketchbook, and right after realizing he was there, Dipper also realized the world around their table was monochrome. How long had _that_ been going on?!  
  
“I gotta say, you have _fabulous_ designs! You're right, Gleeful Entertainment WOULD be utter fools to turn you down.” He snapped the book shut and slid it back into her bag. “Hello!”  
  
“B-Bill Cipher.” Dipper tried to move the chair to get away, but it seemed stuck in place. “What are you doing here?”  
  
“Why, to see _you_ , you silly little thing! I didn't get much chance to talk with you last night, you adorable victim!” Bill winked at him.  
  
Dipper blushed and then Bill looked at Mabel. “And, oho, you have a _sister_? A _twin_ sister? Ohhh, I LOVE twins! They're so much FUN!” He pinched Mabel's cheek playfully and then walked past her, sliding his hands along the tabletop. “Ohh, if only ol' Sixer could see you two.”  
  
“Sixer?” Dipper asked, confused.  
  
“The Author. It's a pet-name both me and his brother used for him. He had six fingers, after all.” Bill wriggled his fingers.  
  
“What do you want, Bill?” Mabel demanded.  
  
“Ohhh, this girl's got FIRE!” Bill turned to her, fire bursting up around them before it faded away. “I _love_ that, I really do. So few humans have the spunk to face me unafraid like you do!”  
  
“Y-You leave her alone!” Dipper tried to get up again, but he couldn't. Looking at his legs, he realized they were also monochrome. Yikes.  
  
“Ah, don't worry.” Bill turned back to him. “I'm not gonna hurt your sister. Oh! Let's play a game!”  
  
“A game?” Dipper and Mabel asked in unison.  
  
“Yeah! It's called...” Bill grinned widely, his eyes flashing. “'Send Me An Angel'.” He snapped his fingers and the world returned to normal. The crowd around them screamed as they realized Bill Cipher, God of Chaos was in their midst and Dipper and Mabel got up to run with everyone else. “No, no, no! Nobody run off!” He pointed at the fleeing people and turned others to stone, while Dipper and Mabel were caught in a purple bubble that hovered in the air. “We're not done here!” He laughed.  
  
–  
  
Gideon's ring shimmered softly as he watched a girl sing off-key and dance off-time and the onloy reason he hadn't already dismissed her was because she had begged and pleaded and said to _just give her another chance_ and—you know what? He was done. But he had something more important to do. He pulled out his phone like he was checking a message and let out an exasperated sigh before shutting it. “Natalie, please take care of the rest for me. There's trouble with one of the new maids.”  
  
“Hopefully nothing's broken. Go on, Mr. Gleeful.” She said, nodding.  
  
He gave her an appreciative smile and started to leave, but paused and whispered. “ _And get her off my stage._ ” She gave a tiny nod and then he was heading out.  
  
“Oh, but Mr. Gleeful, where are you going?” The girl asked.  
  
“I have other matters. Take care, Rena.” He gave a brief wave and left the room.  
  
Okay, now he could focus on getting to what he would _prefer_ to do over her....attempts. He stepped into a side-room, made sure he was alone, and then touched the ring, murmuring softly. It transported him to his sub-dimension and he walked to the cloak, touching the jewel. “Where is the danger?”  
  
An image appeared, showing Bill Cipher terrorizing a cafe, with the night-guard and a girl that looked like his sister trapped in a bubble. “Oh no...not him again.” He groaned and then changed clothes before transporting out of the sub-dimension and to the cafe.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goooosh, Bill is persistent.


	4. Bait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bill decides to use Dipper as bait for angel, and Angel and the twins get a little bit closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gravity Falls (c) Alex Hirsch and Disney XD

This is EXACTLY what Dipper wanted to avoid. And why he absolutely had to keep both Bill Cipher and Angel of Death from knowing about his crush on the superhero. Bill waited against the bubble, casually leaning on it, while Mabel tried to ram her way out and Dipper looked out to see if their bait was working.  
  
Who was he kidding, of course it was. No matter who it was, Angel of Death always showed up. He was one of the good ones. His thoughts were confirmed when Angel of Death appeared in the sky and floated down to where Bill could see him.  
  
“Ahh, here you are!” Bill chirped up at him, floating up to where Angel of Death was. “I'm here to make my offer again, hero.”  
  
“And I'm here to reject it again.” Angel of Death said firmly. “Release these people.”  
  
“You know the drill~!” Bill grinned. “Either join me or defeat me, your choice!”  
  
“Do you care nothing about the people to put in danger with your games? You were a hero once.” Angel of Death reminded him.  
  
Bill jolted, as if surprised he knew that. “Wwwwweeeellllll, yes...but that was before! Now, I don't really care. What do we get out of saving them, anyway? Nothing! Just the assumption we'll save them every single time! Being a villain is better! There's no rules, nothing holding you back! Come and join us, your power is better suited on our side anyway!” Bill extended a hand to him.  
  
“Unlike you, I don't _want_ to hurt anyone.” Angel of Death said coldly. “I only fight criminals like you.”  
  
“Pft. Kid, you really gotta figure your priorities out. You don't just 'fight', you KILL. You KILL people, and then try to claim you're a hero? Come on.” Bill rolled his eyes. “It's better to join me! Then you can kill all you want!”  
  
A knife was suddenly at Bill's chest and he floated back a bit. “I don't _want_ to kill. I do it because the police are useless, the law is slow, trials are rigged to the highest bidder and, if they get away alive, they will just keep doing it again and again and _again_.”  
  
Wow. Dipper wondered if Angel of Death would be mad if he talked about this stuff in his blog. Considering he didn't even seem to realize he was the blogger, probably not a good idea. Maybe he could tell him and ask permission later. Maybe. Also, he was kind of hot when he was angry. He wondered what his face looked like under the mask. What his skin was like under the suit. What—NOOOO, DON'T GO THERE! AHHHHHH!  
  
“Wow, what a motivation.” Bill remarked. “You're gonna be doing this forEVER then, you know that? Humans. Never. Change! Crime is part of their biology! From the caveman days, they have been taking whatever they want from whoever they want, no matter what it is! Beating women over the head with clubs and hauling them to their caves for sex is no different from pinning a woman against a wall in an alleyway! They're _animals_ , Angel!”  
  
“If I must do it forever, then so be it.” Angel of Death said firmly.  
  
Bill scowled, fire appearing in his hands. “So, we fight again, huh? And we'll fight again and again and again until I finally beat you and drag you kicking and screaming to my side because, LIKE IT OR NOT, you WILL join me or end up like the LAST GUY that refused me!” He was shrieking by the end, and those that weren't turned to stone were cowering in fear.  
  
They fought, then, Angel of Death throwing his summoned knives and other objects at Bill and Bill summoning fire and throwing it at him. Dipper really wished he had a camera right now.  
  
Finally, Bill relented, holding a wound in his side from the pole of a stop-sign Gideon had stabbed him with. “Fine...Fine. I see that you...still need some time.” He pulled out the pole and snapped his fingers, vanishing in a burst of blue flame. As soon as he was gone, everyone changed or trapped by him was released from his spells and several people fell over each other as they were restored.  
  
Dipper and Mabel hit the ground together and Mabel groaned as she rubbed her sore knees. “Oww...”  
  
Dipper looked at Angel of Death. “Uh...thanks...for saving me again.”  
  
Angel of Death just sighed and extended a hand to them. “Do you need help to the hospital this time? Are you hurt?”  
  
“No, not really.” Mabel said, taking his hand and getting up, Dipper doing the same after.  
  
“Good.” Angel of Death nodded. “I have to go, then.”  
  
“Wait!” Dipper reached out and grabbed his cloak. Angel of Death looked at him, and he _feel_ the quirked brow under that mask. “Uh...could we...talk for a bit? Is anyone in need right now?”  
  
“There's always someone in need.” Angel of Death sighed softly. “But...I could spare a few minutes. What do you want to talk about?”  
  
“The truth is, I...” _Just tell him, what are you waiting for? He can only say no._ “I...I run a blog about superheroes...and you're just...so amazing. Would it be okay if I wrote about some of the things I've learned against you? I think...the readers would want to know. You're just...such a good person.”  
  
“I'm not sure if I count as 'a good person' but...” Angel of Death rubbed the side of his mask with a finger. “I suppose...you could write about me.”  
  
“Really?” Dipper's eyes lit up.  
  
“Sure. I mean...you're not just jumping down my throat, you're actually _talking_ to me as a person; it's a nice change. Go ahead, publish what you've learned.” His eyes shimmered a bit and he looked to the side. “Trouble. I have to go. See you later.” He flew off.  
  
Dipper and Mabel both gave excited smiles and then hugged each other. “YEEEEESSSSSSS!”  
  
–  
  
“Well? How's it look?” Dipper asked, sitting back in his chair.  
  
“The readers are gonna love it!” Mabel squealed. “Did you pick a picture yet?”  
  
“Why don't you do that? I'm gonna get some food.” Dipper hit Save and got up to leave the room.   
  
Mabel sat down and browsed through the pictures they had taken of the superhero, but none of them seemed quite right. She wondered if they could get him to pose for one, but that might be pushing things a bit. Besides, he only showed up when they were in trouble. She decided to pick one that had him fighting against Bill Cipher and winning, his stance confident and sure, and put that with the article. Yes. This looked good. She read over the article again before nodding and hitting Save.   
  
She noticed Dipper had a chat window open with an unread reply and clicked it, seeing it was to their uncle. Which was silly, considering they were in the same town.  
  
[ **Sherlock Dipper:** Why didn't you tell me we had another uncle?]  
[ **Grunkle Stan:** I didn't think it was important.]  
[ **Sherlock Dipper:** Not important?! He's your brother! He's our uncle! He's a freakin' superhero!]  
[ **Grunkle Stan:** He's DEAD is what he is! Or as good-as! And I want you to avoid getting involved with those superheroes! Stop blogging, stop chasing them for interviews, just stop! Because, take it from me, all you'll end up with is heartbreak.]  
  
Mabel looked towards where her brother was cooking something and sighed, looking back at the computer. “Too late.” She commented, clicking back to the article.  
  
–  
  
Gideon clicked the search engine bar, considering if he _really_ wanted to see what he was planning to. Shrugging, he typed “Superhero blog Angel of Death” and hit Enter. The search engine loaded up a few sites. The one on top was called “Dip and Mabe's Guide to Superheroes!” and the other one after that looked like just some art site. He knew after internet searching for HIMSELF one time not to dare venture into _that_ territory. Yech. Didn't people realize that “Mr. Gleeful” was barely 20 years old? And some of the art he saw was of him younger and in...yech. Shippers were the worst. He would never, EVER, have that kind of relationship with Candy Chiu, inventor extraordinaire.  
  
Anyways, blog. He clicked it and the latest was of Angel of Death. The writing was good, it wasn't too gushy or insulting, and the picture was flattering. People in the comments, though...well, he should make a point not to look at comment sections. He'd seen less disturbing comments in his personal fan-mail. He scrolled back up to the article itself and read it over, then clicked at some others on the blog.  
  
They were all well-written. It was a shame the guy worked as a night-guard at a museum instead of a proper newspaper. He then clicked the About Us section and read it over.  
  
 **[Oh, hey, you found us! Hey, we're Dipper and Mabel Pines, superhero journalists! We bring to you things that the news would never be able to get, exclusive off-the-record interviews with the superheroes! Please let us know if there's anyone you think we should interview and we will do our best! And by “our best” we mean that, no matter what, we WILL get that interview! You can count on us!  
  
Dip and Mabes, reporting for duty!]**  
  
There were pictures of the enthusiastic bloggers underneath. He chuckled softly and went to the top page before bookmarking it and closing the tab. He then glanced at a folder on his desk and sighed. 'Back to work.' He thought, picking it up.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Gideon knows the night-guard/blogger's name.

**Author's Note:**

> Can Dipper get under this hero's mask?


End file.
